Evaluaci?n de la asociaci?n meloxicam atorvastatina sobre la respuesta neuronal y glial en un modelo murino de isquemia cerebral por embolismo arterial

147 p. Recurso Electr?nicoEl accidente cerebrovascular es la segunda causa de muerte y la primera de discapacidad en el mundo, siendo m?s del 85% de origen isqu?mico. Se estudi? el efecto de la atorvastatina y el meloxicam en forma ?nica y asociada sobre la respuesta neuronal, astrocitaria y microglial en un modelo de infarto cerebral por embolia arterial. Se emplearon 32 ratas Wistar hembras sometidas a embolia arterial carotidea y posterior tratamiento con meloxicam, atorvastatina y su asociaci?n a 6, 24, 48 y 72 horas; se evalu? la reactividad de las prote?nas COX-2, GFAP y OX-42 como marcadores de la actividad de la enzima ciclooxigenasa 2, los astrocitos y la microgl?a respectivamente, empleando la t?cnica de inmunohistoqu?mica convencional. La neurodegeneraci?n, la supervivencia celular y la integridad de la mielina fueron evaluadas utilizando las tinciones Flourojade y Luxol Fast Blue (m?todo Kluver Barrera modificado), mediante an?lisis densitom?trico y morfol?gico. Los datos obtenidos fueron evaluados empleando an?lisis de varianza y pruebas no param?tricas de comparaci?n m?ltiple. La isquemia cerebral por embolia arterial increment? significativamente (p<0,001) la reactividad astrocitaria y microglial, en tanto, la atorvastatina, el meloxicam y su asociaci?n la redujeron. La isquemia produjo acortamiento de las proyecciones astrocitarias, engrosamiento celular, ruptura de las expansiones protopl?smicas (clasmatodendrosis) y cambios morfol?gicos microgliales propios de diversas etapas de actividad. En zonas perifocales, se increment? la inmunoreactividad de COX-2 y se redujo en el foco isqu?mico; en tanto, el meloxicam y la atorvastatina redujeron significativamente la inmunoreactividad perifocal, restableciendo el marcaje de COX-2 en el foco isqu?mico. En conclusi?n, la asociaci?n meloxicam ? atorvastatina aten?a la respuesta astrocitaria y microglial del proceso inflamatorio luego de la isquemia cerebral por embolia arterial, reduciendo la neurodegeneraci?n y restableciendo el equilibrio morfol?gico y funcional del enc?falo.Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the first of disability in the world, with more than 85% of the cases having ischemic origin. To evaluate in an embolism model of stroke the effect of atorvastatin and meloxicam on neurons, astrocytes and microglia. This evaluation was done administering each medication individually and in association. Wistar rats were subjected to carotid arterial embolism and treatment with meloxicam and atorvastatin to 6, 24, 48 and 72 hours. Using immunohistochemistry, we evaluated the immunoreactivity of COX-2 protein, GFAP and OX-42 in neurons, astrocytes and microglia by densitometric and morphological studies. Neurodegeneration, cells survival and myelin integrity were analyzed with Fluoro Jade and Luxol Fast Blue (Kluver`s Barrera method modified). Data were evaluated by analysis of variance and non-parametric multiple comparison. Cerebral ischemia by arterial embolism increased significantly the reactivity of microglia and astrocytes (p <0.001), whereas it was reduced by single or associated treatments with atorvastatin and meloxicam. Ischemia produced astrocytic shortening, cellular thickening, protoplasmic rupture expansions (clasmatodendrosis) and microglial morphological changes characteristic of various stages of activity. In perifocal areas, the immunoreactivity of COX-2 was increased in the ischemic focus it was reduced, while meloxicam and atorvastatin significantly reduced (p <0.001) the perifocal immunoreactivity, restoring the marking of cyclooxygenase in the ischemic focus. These results suggest that meloxicam?atorvastatin association attenuates astrocytic and microglial response in the inflammatory process after cerebral ischemia by arterial embolism, reducing neurodegeneration and restoring morphological and functional balance of nervous tissue. Keywords: astrocytes, microglia, atorvastatin, brain ischemia, cyclooxygenase, meloxicam

Biomarker, Treatment, and Socio-Demographic Factors Affecting Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Retention

ABSTRACT Biomarker, Treatment, and Socio-Demographic Factors Affecting Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Retention by Fernand A. De Los Reyes Advisor: Martha Velasco-Whetsell Increasing mortality from opioid overdose and low treatment engagement are significant public health concerns. Along with increasing health care and criminal justice enforcement costs, there is an urgent need to study the factors associated with treatment retention in opioid use disorder. The study investigated the relative impact of the biomarker cholesterol on treatment retention in an opioid treatment program (OTP) clinic. Further, it examined the medical comorbidities, treatment, and socio-demographic variables that impact opioid use disorder treatment retention. This study was a secondary analysis of patient health records (n=267) in an opioid treatment program clinic. The study employed a hierarchical logistic regression of three models to test the relationship of treatment retention with a cholesterol biomarker, treatment, and socio-demographic factors. This study finds that cholesterol affects positively and significantly opioid treatment retention across three domains. As a stand-alone independent variable in the biomarker domain, Model I, cholesterol level positively impacts treatment retention (p =0.009). Similarly, an increase in the cholesterol level of patients results in an increase in treatment retention. In the treatment factor domain, Model II, the total cholesterol level (p= 0.025) and medication dosage (p= 0.003) continue to support a significantly positive relation to the dependent variable, treatment retention. Further, with the third domain’s socio-demographic variables, medical comorbidities cease to be statistically significant. Cholesterol level in Model III remains a positive predictor of treatment retention in opioid abuse treatment (p= 0.026). Age and gender are not statistically significant in predicting treatment retention. Regarding ethnicity, this study unequivocally supports that Blacks stay in treatment more than their White counterparts at the study location (p= 0.006; OR= 2.741). This study supports the idea that providing integrated health services in an inclusive OTP clinic promotes the retention of a minority patient population. Additionally, this study supports the extensive use of nursing theories such as the Roy Adaptation Model to generate new knowledge in improving health outcomes, promoting inclusion and equity, and reversing health disparities

Revisiting the Integrated Star Formation Law. I. Non-starbursting Galaxies

We use new and updated gas- and dust-corrected star formation rate (SFR) surface densities to revisit the integrated star formation law for local "quiescent" spiral, dwarf, and low surface brightness galaxies. Using UV-based SFRs with individual IR-based dust corrections, we find that "normal" spiral galaxies alone define a tight Σ_(H I + H2)–Σ_(SFR) relation described by an n = 1.41^(+0.07)_(-0.07) power law with a dispersion of 0.28^(+0.02)_(-0.02) (errors reflect fitting and statistical uncertainties). The SFR surface densities are only weakly correlated with H I surface densities alone, exhibiting a stronger and roughly linear correlation with H2 surface densities, similar to what is seen in spatially resolved measurements of disks. However, many dwarf galaxies lie below the star formation law defined by spirals, suggesting a low-density threshold in the integrated star formation law. We consider alternative scaling laws that better describe both spirals and dwarfs. Our improved measurement precision also allows us to determine that much of the scatter in the star formation law is intrinsic, and we search for correlations between this intrinsic scatter and secondary physical parameters. We find that dwarf galaxies exhibit second-order correlations with the total gas fraction, stellar mass surface density, and dynamical time, which may explain much of the scatter in the star formation law. Finally, we discuss various systematic uncertainties that should be kept in mind when interpreting any study of the star formation law, particularly the X(CO) conversion factor and the diameter chosen to define the star-forming disk in a galaxy

A newly discovered VHE gamma-ray PWN candidate around PSR J1459-60

Observations of the Galactic Plane performed by the H.E.S.S. telescope array have revealed a significant excess at very-high-energies (VHE; E>0.1 TeV) from the direction of PSR J1459-60, a rather old gamma-ray pulsar (64 kyr) with a spindown energy of ~10^36 erg/s, discovered by the Fermi/LAT satellite in high-energy (HE) gamma-rays. The X-ray pulsar counterpart has been recently detected using the Suzaku satellite. In this contribution, we present the discovery of a new VHE gamma-ray source, including morphological and spectral analyses. Its association with the gamma-ray pulsar in a PWN scenario will be discussed

Revisiting the Integrated Star Formation Law. Paper I: Non-Starbursting Galaxies

This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED), which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This research was supported in part by the STFC through a consolidated grant to the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. M. A. de los Reyes also acknowledges the financial support of the Winston Churchill Foundation and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The authors would like to thank the anonymous referee for their thoughtful and constructive comments, as well as M. Irwin, A. Saintonge, L. Hunt, and J. Wang for their useful comments and advice. Finally, we would like to express our deep gratitude to the staff at academic and telescope facilities, particularly those whose communities are excluded from the academic system, but whose labor maintains spaces for scientific inquiry. Software: Matplotlib (Hunter 2007), Linmix (Meyers 2015), Astropy (Astropy Collaboration et al. 2013)